Working in Russia Working as a student and getting a job as a graduate

What are you going to do with that degree? We've designed this page to help you answer that question. Working abroad can be a great way to meet locals and to experience day-to-day culture. It can also extend your stay, if you desire. It helps, but is not always necessary, to speak Russian. While getting there and finding a job may prove to be challenging, Russia's still-developing market can offer opportunities that a more difficult US job market cannot.

Most students coming to Russia get their first start in the market teaching English, translating, and/or editing documents. Here are a few places that regularly hire for such positions. Keep in mind as well that many international companies in Moscow also have in-house editors, teachers, and translators. So, applying directly to large, international companies in a variety of fields can also be useful - especially if you have experience or education in the field they work in.

The following are the most popular sites for looking for a job in Russia. They are all, however, geared mostly to Russians. Note that special documentation is needed to hire foreigners in Russia so not all employers are willing to do it. However, it can't hurt to check these listings out as well!

Your best opportunities for employment are likely to be found on-the-ground in Russia, through the personal contacts that you'll make. Here's an annotated list of resources that you can use to jump into the local social scene.

RedTape.ruThis is a forum largely populated by long-term expats in Russia and English-fluent Russians. This can be great for finding roommates, finding out where the local "in" scene is among expats (helpful as companies who have hired one expat are more likely to hire another), general networking and getting questions answered.

Expat.ruThis is essentially a much larger version of RedTape.ru. There are several long-term expats here, but also many more short-term expats, and many, many more Russians of various levels of English fluency. Expat.ru can be great for advertising yourself as an English teacher and finding roommates and friends.

Study Abroadin Russia!

InternshipsOne of the best ways to network is by interning in the field you want to break into. This can give you contacts and practical experience, familiarizing you with your field and its peculiarities in Russia and thus making you a much more valuable candidate for any open positions abroad.

CouchSurfingThis site has gone from being a place to find a cheap place to crash to building international communities in cities across the globe. CouchSurfing now has regular events in Moscow ranging from speakers to films to more - many are free or at least inexpensive and draw a mixed crowd of locals and foreigners.

InternationsThis site unites international professionals on the ground in various major cities across the globe. Emphasis is placed on physical meetings. Moscow now has an active branch.

getajobinrussiaThis is a website run by the man who literally wrote the book on How to Get a Job in Russia. The site offers additional information for job seekers. Those who have purchased the book get access to an internal forum to network among themselves and with the author!

VKontakteVKontakte or "VK" is sort of a Russian Facebook/LinkedIn. It is used to advertise professional skills - but also is used to share personal files and status updates. Especially if you speak Russian, having an account here can be useful in building connections - and a way to impress Russians that you have jumped into "their" site.

Facebook andLinkedInOf course, like anywhere else in the world, these two sites are also popular in Russia. LinkedIn can be more useful, though, for advertising your skills and building professional connections.

Volunteer AbroadVolunteering can be a great way to meet locals, learn the language, and gain experience. Especially some of Russia's older charities also have long-term expats that regularly volunteer - and thus can be a great way to meet higher-level managers and even executives on the ground.

Success StoriesSRAS has a large collection of interviews with people who have studied, interned, and found employment abroad. Read advice from people who have made the leap before!

More ideas and commentary are available from TrevorAbroad - a website launched by an SRAS graduate to extol the virtues of living, working, learning, and volunteering abroad!

All countries place additional restrictions on foreigners living and working in their countries and Russia is no different. You'll also find that you'll have some additional complications in the logistics of managing finances, private retirement accounts, etc. Here are some of the major issues and how deal with them.

A. Evolving Conditions - Update 4/15/2015Russia is rapidly changing. There are two main trajectories to consider today. The first is Russia's currency, which plummeted from 30 to more than 70 to the dollar last year and, as of this update, now bounced back to 50. For expats living in Russia with obligations back home (such as student debt), this has spelled headaches and uncertainty as salaries lost more than half thier value and rebounded halfway back. The ruble is likely to be unstable in the near term and thus you should consider if your budget might be able to withstand such elasticity. It is also possible to find employment in Russia that denominates its salary in dollars (paid in rubles according to the official exchange rate for the date of payment).

The second trajectory is that Russia is continuing a process it began many years ago to tighten its enforcement of its migration system. You should take Russia's visa and work laws very seriously. infractions of the law can mean deportations and bans from Russia for five years.

B. Work PlacesThe Russian job marketworks much like those everywhere else: call, fax/email your resume, build and utilize contacts, and keep your fingers crossed. However, bear in mind that wages are often low, even at western companies and there are usually Russians who can do your job better for less. However, there are relatively few native English speakers looking to relocate to Russia long-term, so the jobs that are open to such applicants are often relatively easy to land - and advancement will probably come at a rate impossible to match in most "developed" economies.

C. Visas and Work PermitsIt is illegal to work without a work visa and permit. If you find a professional job, your company may supply these. It is not possible to obtain a work visa and permit independently - these must be issued on the basis of an employment contract with a licensed Russian business. While we cannot encourage the practice, working "under the table" in unofficial and undocumented jobs has been common for foreigners and Russians alike. However, the practice for foreigners has been greatly limited by limits on the amount of time that can be spent in Russia on tourist and business (or commercial) visas.

Americans on the new three-year business or tourist visas can stay for up to six months at a time for a three-year period. (Most foreigners who enter Russia on business visas are only allowed to stay for three months out of the first six-month half of their yearlong business visa, and for another three months during the second six-month half. Many tourist visas are good for only 30 days.) These regulations make long-term employment in Russia on these easy-to-obtain visas difficult (and it's still illegal).

The immigration authorities also now have computerized databases at most major entry points to keep track of whether foreigners are overstaying their limits. If caught overstaying a visa or working illegally in Russia, foreigners can be fined and/or deported by the Federal Migration Service. They can also then block your entry back into Russia for several years. See our guide to Russian visas for more information on what you can and can't do with a student, business, tourist, and work visa.

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D. Paycheck/Getting Money HomeIf you get officially hired in Russia, your employer will typically require you to open a local bank account (or will have you sign something so that they can open an account for you) and will pay you by transferring rubles to that account.

If you need to send money home, you can use Western Union, but that’s expensive and requires a spravka, a slip of paper that proves where you got the money. If you are working "unofficially" you will not have a spravka, nor will your employer want to give you one. You can make international transfers from a Russian bank account, but this can be expensive too (an international bank transfer could cost up to $40 plus 1.5% of the total sum being transferred, plus intermediary fees). The best option, if you need to have your money based in America, is to arrange to have your check mailed or direct-deposited to your bank account in your home country. You can then withdraw any cash you need from an ATM in Russia. Although there will likely be international transaction fees on these operations, these are generally more manageable than money transfer costs if you make large withdrawals each time. Find out more from our guide to budgets and finance in Russia.

E. Income TaxesRussian: Foreigners who have been in Russia for less than 180 days of year pay 30% tax. Foreigners who spend more than 180 days of year (refered to as "tax citizens"), pay a flat tax of 13%. Your employer will usually file this for you, but you should verify this when signing your contract.US: If you are an American citizen, you are required to pay taxes on your worldwide income. You must declare any income you earn in Russia on your annual US tax return. However, in order to ease the tax burden on US citizens living abroad, the IRS allows a $95,100 deduction to all citizens living abroad under the Foreign Income Exclusion. If you earn above this amount, then the 13% flat tax you pay in Russia will count as a deduction on any taxes you must pay to the IRS. For practical purposes, this means you would have to earn above $170,000 per year before you owe anything to the IRS. But even if you owe nothing, you still need to file a yearly tax return. More info from the IRS is here. You may want to have a professional do your taxes, at least for the first couple of years so that you can see how to put everything in order. It will generally cost $300-550 for an accountant to prepare your tax return. Some firms specializing in this are RVYAccounting, ExpatCPA, and Taxforexpats.com. Once you see how it's done, you can more comfortably do your own taxes with software like TurboTax (make sure you get a package that will handle the Foreign Income Exclusion and any other special needs you may have).

Citizens of Other Countries: Please check you home country's legistlation.

V. Residency: For the Really Long HaulRussian temporary residence permits are good for up to three years, are renewable, and allow you to live and work in Russia (taking the place of a visa and a work permit). The process of obtaining a temporary residency permit is much more difficult than getting a visa (it involves getting medical tests, police checks, and other documentation). They are also rationed via a quota system - if you are applying in a high-demand area such as Moscow, getting on the quota can be very difficult, and you must apply in the area you will live in. Even if you get on the quota, you'll need to collect multifarious documentation, stamps, signatures, and more from Russian government offices. If you do not speak Russian, you will need to find someone to help you with the process. However, for those who wish to stay in Russia for many years and do not wish to be tied to one company, this may be worth it. Once you have temporary residency, you may apply for "permanent residency" (good for up to five years and renewable). You can find a step-by-step guide on how to get a temporary residency permit in the book How to Get a Job in Russia: a practical guide for native English speakers.

United NationsRecruitment at the professional level is usually confined to internal candidates, except at P2 (the lowest professional level) where recruitment is open to outsiders by competitive examination (see site).

The Interagency Language RoundtableThis US government agency is designed to coordinate hiring linguists, interpreters, translators, and other language-oriented professionals for the federal government. They also supply lots of information for students and job seekers.

USAJobs.govThis is the federal government's central website for job postings. Try entering "Russian" in the "keywords" field and see what comes up!

An inside look on working for America's Foreign Service.

The US Foreign ServiceThis government agency has a shortage of Russian speakers. Support them in their official mandate to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the US abroad.